Aerospace & Flight Systems

Figure 1.1: ADU test bench setup during wind tunnel perturbation testing.

Problem: Verifying sensor accuracy for angle of attack and sideslip measurements on uncrewed aircraft required determining the internal dynamic behavior of the Air Data Unit.

Action: Executed wind tunnel perturbation tests across varying fan RPMs to record transient responses and evaluate physical aerodynamic behavior against sensor outputs.

Result: Extracted critical natural frequency and damping ratio parameters, establishing data reliability boundaries for flight testing.

Figure 1.2: FAA Remote Pilot License and VT Flight Proficiency documentation.

Problem: Executing outdoor field deployment and research flight evaluations required formal regulatory licensing and verified operational flight proficiency.

Action: Studied airspace regulations and safety protocols, passing the FAA Aeronautical Knowledge Test and completing Virginia Tech’s flight proficiency exam.

Result: Earned FAA Part 107 licensing to legally and safely pilot uncrewed aircraft for research and defense applications.

Problem: Launching Virginia State University’s inaugural NASA Student Launch team required navigating complex proposal milestones and technical rocket designs from scratch.

Action: Served as Operational Manager and Payload Team Leader, guiding 30+ students and 5 faculty/industry advisors through NASA’s formal review milestones.

Result: Successfully established the university’s aerospace team infrastructure and met national project milestones.